But amid a tough budget, strained by factors including flat revenue and the expiration of one-time pandemic aid, some city agencies are bracing for cuts. And advocates for the pay equity fund worry it may be on the chopping block — potentially leading to higher day-care fees and an exodus of educators.
“It’s like going backward,” said Yeimy Ramos, a teacher at Petit Scholars, a network of child-care centers.
Dozens of educators, parents and day-care directors on Wednesday descended on the Wilson Building, clad in matching purple T-shirts and eager to convince the D.C. Council’s 13 members to fight off any possible cuts for the fund in the budget Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) is expected to present to lawmakers in the coming days.
A spokesperson for the mayor declined to discuss details of the looming budget proposal. But as advocates visited council member Charles Allen’s office on Wednesday, the Ward 6 Democrat offered his support for the fund. “If it is cut, we need to restore it,” he said. “As with anything, there will always be a little devil in the details of exactly where and how we find the funds to do that.”
The mayor was scheduled to share her budget with the council last week, but the presentation was canceled.
Danielle Geong, who lives in Northeast Washington, said the pay equity fund has helped her daughter’s school retain qualified staff and improve morale. The 37-year-old is job hunting, something she said would be a challenge with her 2-year-old daughter at home. “As somebody who’s trying to remain in the workforce, it’s not possible without child care,” she said.
People who work with young children are among the lowest-paid laborers in the country and are disproportionately women of color, according to a study on the pay equity fund by Mathematica, a research group. The median hourly wage for a child-care worker in 2022 was $13.71, compared with $22.26 for similar positions — including preschool and kindergarten teachers — federal employment data show.
To grow wages, the D.C. Council in 2021 approved a tax increase on the city’s wealthiest residents to pad the pay equity fund. Eligible educators receive between $5,000 and $14,000 per year, depending on their role.
The Mathematica researchers found that by the end of 2022, D.C. day cares had hired 100 people — a needed boost for a city where seats are in high demand, according to Under 3 DC, an advocacy group.
The calls for funding come as many day-care workers are earning associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, part of new minimum education requirements for lead teachers. Charlene Roach-Glymph, co-owner of Petit Scholars’ Rhode Island location, said almost her entire staff has returned to school and their pay needs to reflect the new credentials.
“As a small-business owner, if these funds go away, we wouldn’t be able to pay our teachers those salaries,” Roach-Glymph said, adding that centers could raise tuition to support wages. “We don’t want to have to do that.”
Because of the budget tensions, that growth is in jeopardy, said Jacqueline Strickland, who has worked with children for 40 years. Many of her former colleagues left for higher-paying jobs in D.C. Public Schools or the U.S. Postal Service before the pay equity fund was created — something she fears could happen again if the pay equity fund is depleted.
“When the equity fund came about, it was the only reason that I stayed,”…
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